2021 – Page 1334 – Armenian Directory & News

Pasadena’s Armenian Faithful Observe Christmas Wednesday

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Emil Lazarian

Pasadena Now, CA

Jan 5 2021

By JOEY REAMS and BRIAN DAY

Published on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 | 10:37 am

“In my house, growing up, we always celebrated Christmas on Dec. 25th and Jan. 6th… because of my dad, who was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and my mom, who was a survivor of the Armenian genocide, we would celebrate American Christmas and Christmas, which meant that the Christmas tree was always kept up until after Armenian Christmas,” he recalled.

“This year my family will be celebrating Armenian Christmas in both Pasadena and Yerevan,” he said. “My oldest son, Nishan, born in Pasadena and a graduate of La Salle High School, lives and works in Armenia. My youngest son, Saro, traveled there to be with his older brother. My middle son, Aram, remains home with us.”

Several area Armenian churches have planned events to mark the “Holy Birth,” or “Sourp Dznount.”

St. Sarkis is planning a morning prayer service, a Holy Mass, a Holy Communion, and a Blessing of the Water, to be hosted in an indoor but socially distanced manner, at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. More details are available online at facebook.com/sourpsarkis/posts/4257550157606671.

St. Gregory Armenian Church in Pasadena is hosting an online “Christmas Eve of Holy Nativity” at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Details can be found at pasadenaarmenianchurch.com/blog/event/armenian-christmas-eve-of-holy-nativity.

An Armenian Christmas Feast of the Holy Nativity & Theophany will be held online starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the church. More information is available at pasadenaarmenianchurch.com/blog/event/armenian-christmas-feast-of-holy-nativity.

Families of missing soldiers protest outside Armenian government

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Bedik Zaminian

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 5 2021

Families of Armenian soldiers who went missing during the recent Artsakh war on Tuesday staged a protest outside the government building to again call the authorities’ attention to the problem and to learn about the search efforts.

“My son joined the military two months before the war. He went missing in the Hadrut region. One of his fellow soldiers says that he saw my son killed, another says that he saw him wounded. Now I have no news of him, neither his body has been found, nor his name is on the list of prisoners,” a missing soldier’s mother told reporters.

The mother of another missing serviceman noted that she has not heard from her son for 80 days.

The father of one of the missing soldiers, Roman Gevorgyan, said: “There are parents who have seen photos of their children in intensive care units. They were transported to Yerevan, but cannot be found anywhere, not in a single hospital. The children have gone missing for a week. They are not needles to get lost without a trace.”

He showed a photograph of one of the wounded soldiers taken in the Goris hospital, adding they had not been able to find him for a week. He stated the health minister should be held to account for the failed efforts to find those soldiers, demanding a meeting with Arsen Torosyan.

According to the father, the government does not know that more than 800 Armenian soldiers are being held in a Baku prison. “We talked to 44 repatriated POWs, they say that there were three floors and two buildings, with 6 people kept in each cell. The children got a blood test with their eyes closed, but they saw the numbers. We add up and it turns out to be more than 800,” he said.

He presented the parents' demand: “There is a site where Azerbaijanis buried the dead soldiers. They must find out where they are buried so that we can find and retrieve the remains. In addition, we must be provided with the specific names of the prisoners. I am convinced that there are over 800 children in the Baku prison.

“I don't know what they are doing: what New Year, what Snow Maiden? It's a shame, they are not at work. Everyone must work. I haven't seen my son for three months.”

He also said Azerbaijanis do not allow search operations for the surviving soldiers in some places.

The parent added there will be no meeting with Nikol Pashinyan, as the premier is preparing for a trilateral meeting and avoids contacts not to catch coronavirus.

“We can hold a phone call. We will present our concerns to him over the phone, but the health minister must come here, if he does not come, we will find him," Gevorgyan said.

Armenian ombudsman: Study of Azerbaijani president’s speeches attests to threat of genocide

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Vanyan Gary

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 5 2021

Armenian Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) Arman Tatoyan has reflected on the determination of Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan’s continued state policy of Armenophobia in an interview to Sputnik Armenia. The ombudsman shared the key points of the interview on his Facebook page.

"1. When choosing any approach or a principle in determining Armenia’s state borders, at least two crucial questions must be answered: 1) whether the approach applied endangers the inviolability of the state borders of Armenia and the security of the country; 2) whether the approach applied endangers or violates the rights of people living in our country and especially border residents, and whether it is consistent with the requirements of the applicable rule of law.

"2. Determination of Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan must be considered in the context of guaranteeing the physical security and the health and welfare of the border residents. Indeed, the viability of the Armenian people in general, their lives, their physical and mental inviolability, their property rights and all other vital needs must be the foremost priority at all times," Tatoyan said.

"To be clear, and to put in context, not only the state policy of an organized anti-Armenian campaign and an anti-Armenian propaganda has not stopped being implemented in Azerbaijan, but such activities have also continued to be put to use and have been further developed. These practices have produced new manifestations of openly and notoriously threatening the territory of Armenia and our entire population.

"Moreover, a study of the speeches and rhetoric of that country's president attests to the threat of a genocide," he added.

ECHR grants Armenia’s another request for interim measure against Azerbaijan

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Meline Chalian

Panorama, Armenia

Jan 5 2021

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Monday granted Armenia’s another request concerning prisoners of war (POWs) and captured civilians, applying an interim measure against Azerbaijan and demanding that Azerbaijan provide information on them within the set timeframes, the Office of the Representative of Armenia before the ECHR reported.

"At the same time, taking into account the openly contemptuous attitude of the Azerbaijani authorities towards legal proceedings, especially the decisions of the European Court, as well as the repeated violations of the deadlines set in the court decisions and the recent statements of the Azerbaijani president, Armenia applied to the European Court on January 3 and 5, demanding that the issue of Azerbaijani violations be referred to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the basis of Article 39 § 2 of the Rules of Court.

"Taking into account the importance of the processes concerning POWs and captives and the sensitivity of the issue, we once again urge you to refrain from publishing the names of those persons or other personal data on social media," the office said.

US Joins Guatemala, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan in ‘Chaos’ Club

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Emil Lazarian

CourtHouse News

Jan 7 2021

Turkish Press: Russian peacekeepers provoke reaction in Azerbaijan

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Ani Tigranian

Anadolu Agency, Turkey

Jan 7 2021

Russian peacekeepers provoke reaction in Azerbaijan

Ruslan Rehimov | 07.01.2021

BAKU, Azerbaijan

In its peacekeeping role between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Upper Karabakh region, Russia has exhibited behavior favoring the Armenian side, experts said Thursday.

In one instance, commander of the Russian peacekeeping force Rustam Muradov was caught on camera with senior figures of the so-called Armenian entity Upper Karabakh, drawing ire from Baku.

Azerbaijan has also decried the presence of the so-called flag of the Armenian entity during talks between the Russian and Armenian delegations as negligence of international law by Moscow.

In one of its online news reports, the Russian Defense Ministry recently used the term "Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh," which it subsequently had to remove following the Azerbaijani reaction.

Azerbaijani frustration with Russia mounted further when the peacekeeping force allowed Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan to use the Lachin corridor to visit the so-called Armenian entity in Upper Karabakh, which Baku considers a blatant provocation.

In interviews with Anadolu Agency, Azerbaijani experts have underlined that such actions by Russia would do little to contribute to peace and stability in the region.

Araz Aslanli, a senior expert at Azerbaijan's State Customs Academy, said some of the discourse and policies of the Russian peacekeeping troops in the region have raised doubts concerning Moscow's goodwill among Turks and Azerbaijanis.

"Russian troops should act with the awareness that they are currently deployed on Azerbaijani soil," Aslanli said.

Another expert, Nazim Cafersoy of the Caucasian Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (QAFSAM), said Russia appeared to be contributing to the continued presence of illegal armed elements in the region, rather than ensuring peace and stability for Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

"Russian troops should engage in activities in accordance with their job definition to uphold the cease-fire in the region and avoid any kind of action against Azerbaijan's territorial integrity," he added.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27 last year, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade-long occupation.

Despite the Nov. 10 deal signed to end the conflict, the Armenian army several times violated the agreement and martyred several Azerbaijani soldiers and a civilian, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk

Rising hate crimes against Armenians serve as a warning

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Jack Hunanian

San Francisco Examiner

Jan 6 2021

Community Contributor

Jan. 6, 2021 3:30 p.m.

Opinion

By Stephan Pechdimaldji

Over the past year the number of hate crimes committed against the Armenian-American community has been on the rise. In the San Francisco Bay Area alone, there have been four hate crimes committed against the Armenian community over the last six months including a local Armenian School being vandalized with hateful and racist graffiti, which was followed by an arson attack on St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church. There are about 2,500 Armenian-Americans living in the San Francisco Bay Area, so these crimes per capita is a very high number given how small the community is. For a region of the country that prides itself on its progressivism, diversity and acceptance of all cultures, these latest attacks should be a warning sign that hate, and violence can rear its ugly head irrespective on where you may live.

While the timing of these latest incidents might be circumspect, they both occurred right before Azerbaijan, with the help of Turkey, launched an attack on Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in September. The vandals at the Armenian School in San Francisco spray-painted the colors of the Azerbaijan flag and used threatening language in Azerbaijani. In many ways, these latest hate crimes, coupled with the resurgence of hostilities in the South Caucasus, are a continuation of the Armenian Genocide that is now finding its way to the San Francisco Bay Area.

It is often said that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We are clearly seeing these prophetic words come to life for Armenians in the San Francisco Bay Area who have fought for decades for recognition of the Armenian Genocide. As victims of oppression, Armenians see these latest attacks as an extension of Turkey and Azerbaijan’s denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and a threat to their very existence.

These latest hate crimes should be an inflection point in the U.S.-Turkey-Azerbaijan relationship that has seen Washington for years turn a blind eye to Ankara and Baku’s malfeasance and wanton disrespect for the rule of law, including its ongoing campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide. For the United States and the international community to condemn and punish Turkey and Azerbaijan for its human rights violations, rampant expansionism and ethnic cleansing, they must hold them to account for its history and role in perpetuating an unequivocal lie and a revisionist look at the past.

For decades, Turkey embarked on an impracticable campaign to rewrite the world’s history books by questioning the veracity of the Armenian Genocide by calling for dubious panels and historical commissions to refute and contest Turkey’s eradication of the Armenians. And as part of Turkish pressure to suppress recognition of the Armenian Genocide, they are now turning to social media platforms to help in those efforts.

In the age of social media, we clearly know the influence many of these platforms have in influencing the hearts and minds of people. What is more, words matter, and it is one of the reasons why Mark Zuckerberg updated his company’s terms of service by expanding its hate speech policies to include content that denies or distorts the Holocaust. In announcing the policy change, the company cited a recent survey that found that the number of people who believe that the Holocaust was a myth is on the rise. And while Facebook deserves much credit for updating its policies, it still has not gone far enough, as content that denies the Armenian Genocide is still allowed on the platform. Pages like “Armenian Genocide Lie” are just some examples of how Turkey and Azerbaijan are exploiting social media to disseminate propaganda which incites hatred and violence. Zuckerberg said that this thinking around this issue evolved as he saw an increase in anti-Semitic violence increasing. Clearly, he saw a connection between the content on his site and hate crimes being committed because of it.

And we can clearly make the connection between denial of the Armenian Genocide and these latest hate crimes committed against Armenians, especially when governments do in fact recognize the genocide. After all, it is in Ankara and Baku’s playbook to use intimidation and fear to silence its detractors both inside and outside its borders. For example, France has been one of the more vocal critics of Turkey and as a result the country has seen a significant uptick in the number of hate crimes committed against French citizens of Armenian descent. In recent weeks, memorial sites dedicated to the Armenian Genocide in France have been defaced with anti-Armenian graffiti paying homage to the “Grey Wolves” and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan while pro Armenian protesters were attacked and stabbed by pro-Turkey assailants over Nagorno-Karabakh. And here in the United States, hate crimes committed against Armenian-Americans have been on the rise since Congress passed a non-binding resolution last year that formally affirmed recognition.

Unfortunately, anti-Armenian hate crime is not new and something the Armenian-American community has been dealing with for a long time. However, recent global events including the war over Nagorno-Karabakh as well as progress in the movement to recognize the Armenian Genocide have contributed to a new wave of hate crimes against Armenian-Americans, especially for those living the San Francisco Bay Area. Until Turkey comes to terms with its past and Azerbaijan reckons with its present, we can expect more of these types of hate crimes. The Armenian people have suffered much pain and loss throughout their long and rich history. That is why we need to make sure these hateful attacks stop. Recognizing the Armenian Genocide is just one step in that direction.

Stephan Pechdimaldji is a public relations professional who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s a first-generation Armenian American and grandson to survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

Turkish press: Azerbaijan dissatisfied with Russian peacekeepers’ pro-Armenia attitude

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Talar Tumanian

ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY

JAN 07, 2021 1:12 PM GMT+3

An Azerbaijani border guard raises the national flag during the opening ceremony of the frontier post in the village of Zangilan, Azerbaijan, Jan. 5, 2021. (AFP Photo)

The one-sided and partial attitude of Russian military elements deployed in the Karabakh region to monitor a cease-fire deal signed in November in favor of the Armenian side has raised eyebrows in Azerbaijan.

Deployed to the region as part of the Russia-brokered cease-fire deal signed on Nov. 10, Russian troops sometimes exhibit a pro-Armenia attitude instead of taking the required neutral stance for the implementation of the peace agreement, Azerbaijani officials say.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Azerbaijan’s state customs academy department chair, Araz Aslanlı, said Thursday that some discourse and practices of Russian elements do not contribute to the permanent solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and cause doubts in Azerbaijan and Turkey about Russia’s good intentions.

Aslanlı said the long-awaited solution for the Karabakh issue could have strained Turkey-Russia relations. "However, this risk has been largely eliminated following the 44-day war and since cooperation possibilities between the two countries have increased. It is important to create multidimensional cooperation conditions in the region. For the stable future of the region, Russian elements should act with the awareness of they are taking part in Azerbaijani territory," he said.

Caucasus International Relations and Strategic Studies Center (QAFSAM) Deputy Chair Nazım Cafersoy also told AA that Russian elements in the region are causing the continuation of the illegal military forces’ presence in the region rather than providing peace between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

Cafersoy said it is wrong for Russian elements to recognize the separatist forces in the region as a legitimate actor, adding: “This situation that the so-called Armenian administration tries to use for their own interests is unacceptable. Russia does not give a good test in this process. Russian elements should exert effort for the implementation of the cease-fire in the region in line with their job description and should avoid any action against Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.”

Rustem Muradov, the commander of the Russian troops in the region, was pictured with senior figures of the separatist Armenian forces. Azerbaijanis also reacted against the presence of the so-called Armenian administration's flag at Muradov's meetings and events.

On another occasion, the Russian Defense Ministry in a news story published on its website used the phrase “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” referring to the separatist Armenian forces’ administration. After Azerbaijan objected, the ministry removed that part from the article.

Most recently, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Armenian foreign minister's visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh region violated the conditions of November's trilateral agreement that put an end to the conflict between the two countries.

"The illegal visit of Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan to the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, where he met with representatives of the puppet regime and signed the 'documents,' contradicts the trilateral statement of Nov. 10 and does not comply at all with the framework of peace, security and cooperation in the region after the cessation of hostilities," Leyla Abdullayeva, head of the Press Service Department of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.

Abdullayeva added that the violation of the commitments by an Armenian official is a "provocation" and such actions catering to a domestic audience do not serve the normalization of the situation in the region.

Fresh clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan in late September, rekindling the Caucasus neighbors' decadeslong conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. During the conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several towns and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation. Fierce fighting persisted for six weeks before Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Moscow-brokered peace deal.

The agreement came after Baku's military overwhelmed the separatist forces and threatened to advance on Karabakh's main city of Stepanakert (Khankendi). Following the deal, Russia deployed its troops to the region for monitoring the implementation of the deal.

Armenpress: 4 die, over 50 detained during violent protests in Washington DC

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Emil Lazarian

4 die, over 50 detained during violent protests in Washington DC

11:15, 7 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Law enforcement officers on Wednesday night detained more than 50 people after the curfew imposed in the US capital due to riots, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee announced at a press conference, TASS reports.

In addition, two pipe bombs were recovered from the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees, Contee said.

Earlier, authorities of Washington DC confirmed four deaths during violent protests on Wednesday near the US Congress building.

Protesters supporting current President Donald Trump stormed on Wednesday the US Congress building in Washington DC and disrupted the work of lawmakers, who met to certify the results of the November presidential election for President-elect Joe Biden.

Some protesters managed to get inside of the Congress and all lawmakers were evacuated. During the attack a female protester sustained a gun wound and later died in a hospital.

COVID-19: Armenia reports 201 new cases, 812 recoveries in one day

January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 Emil Lazarian

11:20, 7 January, 2021

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. 201 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Armenia in the past one day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 161,054, the ministry of healthcare said today.

812 more patients have recovered in one day. The total number of recoveries has reached 147,388.

11 more patients have died, raising the death toll to 2901.

1218 tests were conducted in the past one day.

The number of active cases is 10,070.

The number of patients who had coronavirus but died from other disease has reached 695 (3 new such cases).